Photo: Defender
Tannie was living her best life in Houston, Texas. She worked as a Court Service Officer and ran a wedding and event planning business when she started getting tired easily, experiencing shortness of breath, trouble laying flat, weight gain, and her “legs got full.” Her PCP said it was Menopause, so Tannie made an appointment with her GYN, who agreed, it was Menopause and “didn’t dig any deeper” says Tannie.
Tannie went on with her life, but she got concerned about the shortness of breath not long after. She felt something wasn’t right and went to Urgent Care, thinking she may have an upper respiratory infection (URI).
They did a chest X-ray and referred Tannie to the hospital. Tannie went to the ER and was admitted for what she said was “fluid around my heart.” When Tannie walked into the ER, she had no idea her ejection fraction was operating at 12% when anything under 30% is considered
severe.
Tannie not only advocates for other women with heart conditions, but she is her family’s biggest advocate. Because her father and grandparents died of heart failure, her three children and brothers get routine EKGs, cardiac echo exams, and blood work.
After experiencing such a close call, Tannie is doing well. She changed her diet and she is working out. She’s helping other women prevent having their symptoms dismissed like hers was.
To learn more about Hear Your Heart and access additional resources for women with heart failure, click here.
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